The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Smart-phones represent a rapidly growing industry. Smart-phones are becoming ever more powerful and are taking a prominent position in our lives. As such, it is ideal to provide solutions which make these Smartphone devices ever more visible and accessible in those situations that we find ourselves in most often each day. When our personal and professional lives are so intertwined with a technology such as Smart-phones it is important for them to be easily accessible and in view when necessary.
Despite the proliferation of laptops and tablet computers, the creative professional still prefers a desktop computer due to its faster processor speeds and larger screen sizes; especially within an office or home office environment. Screen size is one reason why even those with laptops tend to dock said laptops into larger desktop screens which can range from 15″ to 24″ most commonly. Many office professions require the employee to be in front of a computer screen for numerous hours each day. From here on the term customer, user, worker, and employee will be used interchangeably and should be associated with any individual utilizing a desktop computing technology for work or play. For many, this is an average of 8 hours or more per day. Desktop screens are not the only devices we use to increase our productivity however, many of us also carry around Smart-phones. Smart-phones are another information and electronic data source which provides a quick and convenient look at ‘To Do Items’, ‘Daily Tasks’, ‘Calendars’, ‘Stock Quotes’, ‘Visual video calls’, ‘emails’, ‘text messages’ and hundreds of thousands of other uses thanks to the proliferation of online application stores. The focus and simplicity that Smart-phone's provide can now be more efficient than pc applications in some cases.
The interaction between the Smart-phone and the desktop computer has yet to evolve. To date these are two very much separate devices which coexist in their own right. There are data transmission and charging cables which exist along with wireless data connection means which invisibly merge these devices via software means, but there is a void in hardware systems designed to help merge these systems into one seamless experience. As mentioned, in many technical and knowledge based jobs, workers spend their time in cubicles, sometimes 8 or more hours per day. During this time workers focus on their task at hand located on the one or more computer monitors placed on the desks in front of them. Many organizations have opted for dual screen configurations due to the assumption that two monitors may equal twice the productivity output. It is reasonable to assume that adding additional screens may help increase productivity.
As Smart-phones become ever prominent, more and more of these workers have access to this other computation device, said Smart-phone, which helps increase productivity. Many companies are now investing in corporate Smart-phones for their employees for this very reason.
As a result workers often take time to look away from their main task at hand to interact with these Smart-phone devices. Every time a worker has to pause their task, and physically turn their head away from their main computer screens to interact with their Smart-phone, they lose a small amount of their prior task concentration. The reason for this loss of concentration is the fact that there is such a distance between their main task and their Smart-phone devices, which are often placed off to the side on the desk. Many workers may keep their Smart-phones in a horizontal position in front of them on the desk. The worker must look away from their main task and physically look down to interact with their Smart-phone. It is this physical motion of navigating the head via the neck muscles away from the task at hand that adds to the element of distraction; even if the goal is to interact with a tool that helps with productivity such as viewing a Smart-phone based calendar, to-do list, text message with a manager, a visual video call, checking an email etc.
There are products on the market which seek to position the Smart-phone at a more viewable angle on the desk. These products are often called “docks”, or “docking stations”. These docks are tangible objects which are designed with specific angles as to allow the Smart-phone to be propped or mounted into a semi-vertical position for easy eye viewing from the user.
These docking stations often come with an accompanied charging apparatus which consists of a connection means for temporarily joining said Smart-phones to a PC; a cord, and an AC adapter or USB plug that can be used to charge said Smart-phone or sync data information to another computational device such as a PC.
These docking stations come in a variety of shapes, designs, colors, materials, weights, sizes, and finishes. Some docking stations even feature speaker systems and clocks which serve to increase the utility of the docking system. However what the current docking stations all seem to have in common is that they are unnecessary external objects on the user's desk which only serve to clutter the desk space with additional objects and wires strewn across the desk or workspace. Many designers will agree that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Additional objects and cords do nothing to help improve concentration. In fact the more external objects within ones view during a productive exercise, the more the user may get distracted. This is a basic principle of minimalist design. Designers who believe in this philosophy seek to eliminate all unnecessary clutter and mess from ones viewing perspective to help create clarity in thought and thus clarity in execution. The invention outlined in the current disclosure seeks to do just this.